Bahrain Mirror- Exclusive: The British Independent newspaper said that Bahraini activist Ali Mushaima who has been on hunger strike for four weeks to protest against the Bahraini government's treatment of his imprisoned father has asked Britain's Queen for help.

In an open letter to the royal, he wrote: "This week I will be celebrating Eid in Belgrave Square rather than at home, with my beloved wife and four-month-old daughter. While I will only be denied the comfort of home on this special day, at least I will be celebrating as a free man. My father, instead, is being forced to spend yet another Eid behind bars."

"I would like to ask your majesty to use the influence and strong friendship with the king of Bahrain to help me save my father. All I ask for is for him to be treated humanely, including access to adequate medical treatment, books, and family visitation without subjecting him to humiliating measures."

The royal household did not immediately respond to The Independent's request for comment.

The Independent stated that as a constitutional monarch, the queen must stay neutral on political matters. But Ali said he wrote the symbolic letter after growing frustrated at a lack of response to his demands so far.

Mushaima said political prisoners in Bahrain are forcibly chained and shackled if they want to see family members, but his father has refused to submit to this, Morning Star website reported.

He added that the [Bahraini] authorities are "slowly but deliberately" killing his father by denying him access to the medical care he needs.

"I hope Your Majesty makes it clear to the Bahraini king that the rights and dignity of a human being are non-negotiable and that the United Kingdom's strong commitment to these principles goes far beyond historical ties and so will not be compromised," he wrote.

Ali Mushaima has started his hunger strike in front of the Bahraini Embassy in London on August 1 in protest against the ill-treatment his 70-year-old father, Hasan Mushaima, receives in prison, noting that Hasan Mushaima suffers from several diseases including cancer. Ali Mushaima started his protest after his father was denied medical care.

Ali Mushaima has been residing in London since 2006. He was sentenced in absentia by Bahraini courts to 45 years in prison after his citizenship was revoked.

It is to mention that the British press closely followed the strong friendship relations between the Queen and King of Bahrain, especially after hosting him in Royal Windsor Horse Show. Last year, the Queen gave King Hamad a 3-year-old horse as a gift. This action prompted human rights organization that accused UK of turning a blind eye to the oppression campaign practiced by the Bahraini authorities against the opposition.

Arabic Version